4 Ways to Clear Preview Cache on Windows

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2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

Whenever you open a folder containing images on Windows XP, a hidden system file called "Thumbs.db" is created. These files allow you to speed up the display of previews when you open that folder again and can take up a lot of space if you have a lot of images on your computer. You can safely delete them and prevent their creation by disabling the preview cache.

On Windows Vista the preview cache is contained in one location instead of being distributed across many invisible files. You will also find in Disk Cleanup an option that allows you to clear the preview cache.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Clear the Preview Cache on Windows XP

Step 1. Since Thumbs.db is a hidden system file, you will need to allow it to be viewed

Follow these steps:

From Windows Explorer, click on the "Tools" menu, then select "Folder Options".

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Click on the "View" tab.

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Make sure "Show hidden files and folders" is checked.

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Uncheck "Hide protected operational files" and click "OK" when the warning appears.

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Click "OK" to close the Folder Options window.

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Step 2. Open the Start menu, and then click "Search"

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Step 3. Click "Search for files and folders" in the left pane

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Step 4. Type "Thumbs.db" in the search field, then click "Search"

Windows will search for all "Thumbs.db" files on your computer. If they don't show up, make sure hidden and system files are included in the search results.

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Step 5. Click "Select All" from the "Edit" menu

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Step 6. Click "Delete" from the "File" menu

The files will be moved to the Trash, according to your settings.

Method 2 of 4: Clear the Preview Cache on Windows Vista

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Step 1. Run the Disk Cleanup tool - open the Start menu, type "Disk Cleanup", then press Enter

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Step 2. Make sure the "Previews" option is checked, then click "Delete files"

Method 3 of 4: Disable Preview Cache on Windows XP

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Step 1. Open Windows Explorer

Right click on the "Start" menu and select "Explore".

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Step 2. Click on the "Tools" menu, then select "Folder Options"

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Step 3. Click on the "View" tab

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Step 4. Select "Don't cache previews", then click "OK"

Method 4 of 4: Disable Preview Cache on Windows Vista

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Step 1. Follow the same steps as in Windows XP, but select "Always show icons and no previews

Windows Vista does not offer the option to disable the preview cache; you can only disable them completely.

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